Note:
Warning: Female Harry Potter
Pairing: Female Harry Potter/Nori One Shot
I've been so exhausted these days and I get half way through writing something and my brain decides that it likes something else and I lose interest in the other things I do...
Cross Posted on Archive of our Own as well under Nightsflight
Enjoy!
Find Your Light
The arrival of one Harriet Potter, wasn't of flashing lights, loud noises, nor anything fancy or chaotic. She had simply phased into existence and awoke to the hustling of a noisy city. Her fiery red hair had been sprawled out around her head, which was covered in hay from where she had simply appeared. A horse's stall it looked like, due to the smell and the nickering of horses around her. She had sat up in confusion, her head pounding due to maybe a few too many drinks the night before. She'd been out with a few friends, celebrating and mourning the one-year anniversary of Hogwarts Battle.
Harriet Potter stood, brushing hay from her body before picking it out of her hair. With a glance around the stalls, she quickly clambered over the stall she was in and out onto the dirt path between them. She blinked owlishly as she exited to building and her heart suddenly found itself drumming against her ribcage.
She didn't recognize anything. Her heart was pounding as her eyes took in the old buildings, rising and filled with bustling people and bright colors. Someone brushed past her and Harriet's head turned in their direction, lips parting in surprise and curiosity. The person was male, sturdy and well built. Unlike any man she's seen before. His beard was well groomed, oiled and braided intricately. He chanced a glance at her and blinked in surprise at the sight of Harriet's fiery red tresses that seemed to defy gravity. Her emerald green eyes bore into his own brown ones and he couldn't help but grin at the lass.
"Afternoon lass! Welcome to the City of Dale!" he greeted before inclining his head in a friendly bow and going on about his business. Harriet simply took a deep breath in and exhaled after a few seconds. What the hell did she get herself into this time?
Oooo
The City of Dale was beautiful. She'd been living there for the past couple of months after realizing that no, she was not in her world, but another with Dwarrows, Elves, Men, and more!
Harriet had come to a startling conclusion that she didn't know how to return to her world, but at the same time, she didn't mind living in this city. She'd been welcomed and treated as Just Harriet. She'd gotten a job at a tavern, delivering meals, drinks, and cleaning up after the hustle and bustle. Harriet had to adapt to her new world, blend in with its inhabitants and she'd found it easy to simply be.
No letters, good or bad, found her here. She didn't have to deal with assassination attempts, attacks in broad daylight, the stalking of some unsavory men, nor marriage proposal requests. Harriet was free here and no longer faced the fame she hated so much.
Harriet had realized that she was the height of dwarrowdams and not that of men. She wasn't one though, for her height was due to being starved growing up. The damaged had been done and Harriet grew no more. It made for a few jokes here and there, but the tavern owner would have none of it and scolded customers, telling them to leave the lass be or face getting kicked out.
Harriet grew to like this place. She grew to like the dwarrows, some of them extremely eye catching with their braided beards and handmade beads. She liked the dwarrowdams the most. Fierce women that took no shit from anyone, but were kind and amazing in their own ways. Harriet liked to talk with them, asking about their beards with a surprising amount of fascination. She's never seen beards on women before, and how they braided them! They were gorgeous!
The dwarrowdams had giggled behind their hands when Harriet had questioned them about their beards. They had indulged her in her questions, answering anything she was curious about that didn't breech their secrets. They had giggled when Harriet had told the few dwarrowdams that she found herself getting close to, that she found some of their dwarrows eye-catching. (Harriet didn't like half the men in this town, and who knew she'd find dwarrow handsome even if they had much more hair than human men.)
Harriet had flushed when one of her friends, Bellewin, had slyly stated that they'd introduce her to some of the dwarrow from Erebor. That was how Harriet found herself being dragged into Erebor for the first time. A kingdom that was led by a Dwarven King!
"It's not just open for Dwarrows, Harriet!" Bellewin had bluntly stated, large smile taking over her bearded face. "The gates are open for people to come and go. We've got restaurants, open markets, and more available to all on one of the lower levels!"
Her eyes were wide as she took in the large arched ceilings. Detailed pillars, the beauty in the carvings! Her heart had felt so much love for the beauty of these people.
Bellewin had stared at the small human lass with the fiery mane and eyes like emeralds. She's got the soul of her people. Curiosity was brimming within her and Bellewin knew the girl could only bring love to her people.
Harriet was introduced to more dwarrows, eyes lighting up when she was dragged into the fabric shops to be measured for dwarrowdam dresses. She was pulled into restaurants and introduced to their cultural dishes. She became enamored by their children that were few, but many. They'd dance around Harriet in curiosity, asking about her hair and why it was the color of fire and so curly, about her scar that split half her face in a spidery lightening bolt web. They'd asked her if she liked flowers, if she could play with them, if she could show them something human!
Harriet's heart swelled with love and longing as she'd indulge them.
Bellewin had smiled softly at her as Jenyss, Anmera, and Karmlyn had tutted and giggled at how cute their human friend looked with the dwarflings. There was soft chattering and talks about their crafts and how Anmera may give a dwarrow who caught her fancy, a flower. They all beamed at the dwarrowdam, encouraging her to do it.
Harriet had asked what giving a dwarrow a flower meant, and she was then told of their courting traditions. Flowers were given by the female to show interest in a male, courting gifts, dates, and finally marriage and children. It was a long process though, one filled with finding out if they could be your One before marrying.
"A One is like a soulmate." Bellewin murmured and Harriet joined Bellewin at a table after they decided to get some dinner at the small restaurant called Pines and Needles. "If we find someone interesting enough, we initiate a process of 'courting' a getting to know them period. During the first few weeks of this time period, we'll know if they are our One for when dwarrows fall in love, they fall hard and they fall fast. When a dwarrow finds their One, that is it. There is no room to love another like that ever again."
Harriet had hummed softly as she watched Bellewin with curious eyes. "If they aren't their One?"
"They break off the courting as soon as possible, with no hard feelings. If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. Sometimes though, many will find that dwarrows marry their crafts, only finding love in creating."
"And…you?" Harriet questioned, curious about her friend. Bellewin smiled brightly.
"I'm married to my craft!"
Harriet smiled as she took a sip of the tea that was placed before her. A young dwarrow smiled brightly at her, hair an auburn (browner) color and braided tightly to his head. His beard was filling in nicely and braided before clasped with a long silver cover.
There was a crash behind them and the younger dwarrow spun around, eyes wide and face morphing into worry as a dwarfling came tumbling out from the back, covered in flour.
"Nori!" and the dwarfling looked up with wide silver eyes and guilt written over his face. His hair, a bit more reddish than his brothers, was entirely covered in the flour. Nori was scooped up and being scolded as a dwarrowdam came rushing out of the back, face covered in worry.
"By Mahal, Nori! I've told you time and again not to touch the flour!" and with that, she scooped the little dwarfling out of the others hold and trudged into the back once more.
Harriet couldn't help but smile at the little ones antics. Bellewin could only tease her as they ate, about how the girl seemed to have a love for children.
"Because I want a large family." She had responded and Bellewin's face saddened at the confession.
"We are blessed to even carry a dwarfling." She began, looking lost. "It takes years to carry a dwarfling to term. Usually almost four to five years, and the first three years you don't even know."
Harriet startled. "Really?"
Bellewin shrugged. "When we live to be almost three hundred years old give or take, it takes time for a babe to develop."
Harriet hummed thoughtfully as they sipped tea and ate a dwarven dish.
Oooo
Harriet would never forget the day she had literally ran into royalty. She'd been with Bellewin for most of the day before Jenyss, a friend and dwarrowdam who had pretty blonde hair and a golden beard braided into pretty sections, had dragged her off to see the jewelry stands. Harriet had turned a corner while talking to her friend when she all but slammed into another figure and tumbled backwards, her hands flying out in windmill motion before hitting the ground.
The figure she ran into had stumbled back, but being a dwarrowdam, she had simply steadied her sturdier body with a look of amusement on her face.
There was a sudden hush and Harriet had quickly stood up in worry. The dwarrowdam before her was gorgeous. Black hair, long and silky, pulled back into intricate braids. Her beard was well oiled and pulled into sleek braids with pretty beads clasping their ends.
"I am so sorry!" Harriet spouted, her hair suddenly seeming to gain height in her nervousness, twisting and floating like underwater. The dwarrowdam watched in fascination as the girl's hair moved due to her worry. Her bright blue eyes lit with laughter before she sniffed, a small smirk flitting across her face.
"Tis fine. No harm done human." And Harriet twitched at being called human. The dwarrowdams amusement suddenly became brighter. "I'm glad to see another human brave enough to venture into our domain. May I…have the name of one such as you?"
"Oh!" Harriet stuttered, looking surprised at the amusement on the dwarrowdams face. "Harriet Potter, at your service!" and she bowed before the lady, finally noticing the guards that were behind her.
"Lady Dis, it's a pleasure to see you in the markets this morning!" Jenyss finally spoke up, wringing her hands together while dipping into a deep curtsy. Dis inclined her head while watching Harriet flounder about.
"I've found myself with nothing to do today, so I've decided that visiting the markets would be more exciting than sitting and watching my brothers and father negotiate over trades."
Harriet smiled warmly at Dis, glancing at Jenyss before looking back at the dwarrowdam. "It's a pleasure meeting you Lady Dis. I hope you enjoy the rest of the day."
Jenyss was quick to latch onto Harriet's arm, gently tugging her towards another stand in the opposite direction that Dis was going in. "We wish you a good day!" Jenyss said before Dis inclined her head and kept moving.
"That's Lady Dis, the princess of Erebor." Jenyss murmured, causing Harriet to jerk in surprise.
"Why didn't you guys tell me about them!" she cried out. "I'd have at least recognized who I was talking to!"
Jenyss smiled sheepishly. "It's rare that Lady Dis, and her brothers Thorin and Frerin come to the markets, but it does happen."
Harriet rolled her eyes before they began looking through the jewelry, Harriet throwing Dis one last look in curiosity before turning away.
Oooo
Harriet learned many things from her new friends. She's also learned on her own that none of the men in Dale interested her enough to ever initiate anything with them. She's had plenty of men come up to her and request her hand, but she'd turned them down and if they got to be too much, she'd subtly use her magic to confound them. When a relationship with a man indicates that one wishes to marry, she'd rather not, especially if they just didn't work out. The concept of Ones and their whole courting seemed to appeal to her though, for it was a meant to be or not to be situation.
She was busy delivering meals to a table when the doors to the tavern opened and in walked two dwarrows, who were laughing and shoving one another. Harriet greeted them, quickly getting them seated and delivering them ale. Once she'd gotten their meals to them, she hurried on, trying to keep up with the busy tavern.
Throughout the few hours that she'd continued to dance around the tavern, avoid reaching hands, and sweep up fallen food and clean dirty tables, she's noticed that the two dwarrow were still there, having refilled their drinks a number of times. Approaching them after a brief lull in customers, she smiled politely while delivering another round.
"Tell us lass, what are us dwarrows to do to get a name from the pretty waitress serving us?"
Harriet blinked and then flushed, a nervous smile blooming across her face as her magic withered in her hair and made it dance as she moved. Startled looks went to her hair before something akin to fascination filtered across their faces.
"Harriet Potter, at your service." She stated, flushing some more as the two grinned at her. The dwarrow on the left, the one with thin Viking braids at his temples pulled back and thicker braids throughout his hair, gave her a flirtatious look and opened his mouth, only for Harriet to be called away.
A look of disappointment flickered through his eyes as she smiled at him apologetically and left to take care of other customers. They soon paid their tab and as they were leaving, the flirting dwarrow shoved at his older brother.
"Come on Thorin! You can't deny it!"
And the door closed behind them, leaving Harriet to stare after them, eyes wide as she recalled one of the Princes names.
"Seriously?" she whispered to herself. What were the chances?
Oooo
Harriet got comfortable in this new world. In her new life. She was happy with the friends she was making, happy with being just Harriet.
And then the world was crashing down around her.
The day had started out normal. Mundane.
She had gotten up early to get ready for some shopping with the girls later on, when something in the air made her skin prickle with energy.
There were kites flying high above the city, and the hum of chatter filling the air as she stepped outside her small house. Her stomach sank at the ominous feeling filling her very being and Harriet was already moving through the streets, her wand held tight within her hand.
She's not had to use much of her magic so far, other than cleaning spells and such when in the house, but she was still Harriet Potter, War hero and the girl-who-lived and heiress to the Potter and Black houses, which made her magic hum beneath her skin due to the power within her blood.
People were happily talking to one another, children playing and bounding around, and Harriet knew something was wrong. Wrong and nauseating.
Fiery hair danced around her face at that point, no longer settled around her frame, but defying gravity in its fullest. She was getting startled looks from everyone in the market as she stared up at the sky, her heart hammering within her chest.
The wind was picking up. It was making the kites jerk to and froe. Her eyes narrowed. She could hear something on the wind, her magic whispering to her, telling her that something was coming.
The winds grew stronger and Harriet could recognize the powerful beat of wings anywhere. She's not faced a dragon nor ridden one without learning something about them.
Her blood turned to ice as a deafening roar pierced the air and the people grew silent, fear rooting them to the ground.
Harriet needed to, she needed to- what the hell did she need to do?!
A dragon?! Here?
The roaring of the wind was sounding like a hurricane, exactly how she could remember the wings sounding from having been chased by one and seated upon the back of another. The pines towards the mountain were creaking, bowing under the force of the winds coming at them. Harriet could only watch in terror as fire lit them up like torches, burning bright and hot.
The dragon descended upon Dale with a vengeance, fire lighting the kites up and Harriet was suddenly moving, shoving the people closest to her, because that size dragon put all others she's seen, to shame!
"Run!" she shrieked, finally getting people to scatter and move. Guards were trying to direct people and Harriet could see children panicking, unsure as to where they needed to go. Harriet was already apparating to the closest child, wrapping arms around their small frame and casting a protego as the first wave of flames swallowed their entire alley.
Horrified, pained screams filled the air, and a building was suddenly crumbling to her left. The smell of fire, ash, charred flesh, and more filled her nose and Harriet felt tears starting to run down her face as she picked the child up and ran, ducking down an alley and out into a square, shoving him into the closest persons arms.
"Get out of here!" and another wave of flames was coming down on them. Harriet's wand was already up, and a Protego Maxima was thrown above them, shielding the entire square that she'd ran into.
Flames licked at the shield as people watched in horrified fascination. It danced and flickered and rushed down along the outside of her shield, unable to pierce it. The heat could still be felt to an extent, but not the kind that would make your skin bubble and burst as it was being cooked alive.
As the flames tapered off, Harriet screamed in the silence.
"Run!"
And, with wide eyes watching her as people gathered their courage to move, Harriet ran.
Her heart hammered, her legs burned, but she kept moving, kept helping. Aguamenti was used on flames, Protego used to deflect those that were coming down on them, and Harriet watched at the beast in the sky flew towards Erebor, where her friends lived.
Her stomach turned as she looked around at the destruction in town, the death from flames being breathed upon them, and some crushed by crumbling architecture. Tears were blurring her eyes as she took off, watching the dragon draw ever closer to the mountain.
Her hands clenched tight, fisting at her sides. Her mind went over things she knew, spells she could use, and she stared after the dragon as it hit the ground just a few miles from Erebor's gates. They'd been closed when the Warning signals were being blown, the horns echoing into the sky still.
Harriet settled her resolve as her jaw clenched painfully together.
She needed to help them.
Apparition took her to the gates and she could hear the shouting from above, in the battlements over the gate. There were startled shouts coming down from above and Harriet could hear when they'd spotted her.
"What are you doing!?" a deep voice screamed, and Harriet fell into her battle stance, limbs shaking at the sight of this huge, huge dragon stalking towards her. This wasn't the nesting mother, nor the beaten dragon in Gringotts.
"What do we have here?" its voice hissed, loud and vibrating within her chest.
Harriet pressed her lips together to stop the whimper from leaving. When have dragons ever been capable of speech? It must be this world, because Harriet never faced a dragon that could talk to anyone.
"A human who thinks they stand a chance against me? Smaug?"
This was even scarier, a dragon with intelligence and not just basic instinct.
The shouts from above had quieted as dwarrow crowded the battlements, watching in horror as a mere slip of a human stood between their gates and a dragon.
"Harriet!" and the witch glanced back over her shoulder, finding her gaze landing on Dis, who had two dwarrow standing right next to her, staring with wide eyes. It must be the princes. Harriet smiled, shakily but determined.
The rising heat from Smaug's chest could be felt and Harriet whipped back around, mouth pressed into a hard line.
She could do this, she needed to do this.
His chest lit up, a fire brewing deep in his body. The cracks between scales became even brighter, almost a molten lava color.
Fire spewed and she was already casting the strongest protection charm possible, watching it flare to life and spread out before her. Flames made the entire film shudder as it hit and spread wide, creating a wall of flames begging to devour all.
Her limbs shook from the drain on her core, but she needed to keep going.
As the flames died out, Smaug paused, reassessing the human before him. Harriet trembled in fear, adrenaline, exhaustion, and who knows what else. The dwarrows behind her were silent, staring, yet fearful of what was to come.
Smaug's head tilted, tongue flickering out as he tasted the air before launching forward, mouth wide open to snap around the girl. She twisted on the spot and disappeared from sight, only to reappear just slightly off to the side of where he'd snapped his teeth. It was followed by a bright flash and he was ripping his head back as pain filled his being, dirt and grass falling to the ground from the explosion she'd set upon him.
Anger coursed through him as scales split and blood leaked from the wound. Another flash and he was pulling back from a fiery explosion followed by a jet of icy water that hissed as they hit hot scales. She threw another spell, one that blasts the target with icy-cold air, making Smaug back off even further.
He could feel his internal fire dimming from the cold and it angered him.
He was getting angrier at each wound that showed up on his body. He drew back, wings flaring as another spell flew at him from the infuriatingly small creature. This time though, the wounds were painful slashes that pierced his scales like butter as they whipped around his neck and down some part of his back.
Roaring, he blasted air at the human and pushed off the ground, flying high into the sky before diving straight for the gates of Erebor.
Harriet had tried. She'd tried to slow his flight with spells, tried to keep him out with a shield charm, but he burst through them before slamming right through the gates and sending the dwarrows scattering. She was already launching herself into another twist, apparating and appearing high above the dragon within Erebor, thankful for Bellewin and them for dragging her inside the mountain. So she knew where she was going.
She threw more and more spells at the dragon as dwarrow charged, swords dancing and spears being thrown. Harriet shot off another spell and as dwarrows, dwarrowdams and dwarflings fled the mountain, she ensured that any who came, didn't come to harm. (It unfortunately didn't stop dragon fire from finding many fleeing dwarrow before they got close enough for Harriet to protect.)
The charred smell of flesh and smoke from the fire was sickening and it reminded Harriet so much of the war she had fought in at Hogwarts.
Smaug made it into the treasury and as he buried himself in gold and gems, Harriet threw up a strong spell to keep him from noticing the fleeing dwarrow. Dis was suddenly next to her, pulling at the witch, but Harriet shook her head.
"What about the lower levels!"
"It's too late! Smaug will burn us alive!" she spat, anger and so much more filling her body at the thought of losing her home and her people to a dragon. Harriet shook her head again, pulling from Dis.
"I have to try." And she was leaving Dis behind, her brother Frerin suddenly pulling her towards the exit. She passed another two dwarrow, one calling after her as she jumped from one of the bridges and let herself twist in midair. A sharp crack and Harriet landed on another bridge, where there were many dwarrow lingering because of the broken bridges that led up.
A quick spell and stone surged under her magic, repairing the overpass. She kept going after many thanked her as they ran by. Harriet watched as a family quickly rushed up the stairs, her eyes locking onto the dwarfling that she recalled seeing at one of the shops. She thinks it was Nori.
His eyes peered at her from over his mother's shoulder as she let gravity take her form again and twisted once more, going lower and lower to ensure that the dwarrows had a chance at escaping the mountain.
It felt like hours before Harriet stumbled out of the mountain, legs shaking as she came to a stop at the sight of so many dwarrow weeping and scattered in the fields before the gates of Erebor.
'It could be worse.' Her mind whispered. They could all be dead. There'd been a few hundred that had been lost in the wake of Smaug, but not as many as it would have been had she not repaired some of the routes that led towards the exit. How many would have been backed into a corner? Awaiting death?
Dwarrows and Dwarrowdams were suddenly falling silent as she forced herself forward. They watched her with wide eyes, many rimmed red from crying. There were many with burns, many with cuts from falling rock, but they'd made it out. Harriet was suddenly stumbling to a stop, her emerald gaze falling upon Dis, who'd suddenly appeared before her, followed by her two brothers.
She'd taken a second to stare at the witch, eyes lingering on the hair that had yet to settle down, before jerking the girl into a hard embrace.
"Thank you."
Tears finally bubbled up and Harriet was crying into the woman's embrace. Her hands dug into her arms, trying to keep herself grounded.
They were all being surrounded by more dwarrowdams, Bellewin, Jenyss, and Karmlyn. They'd lost Anmera in the escape. Too much fire and she'd been caught in one of the streams leaving the dragon's mouth.
Harriet felt a bitter feeling well up, but there was nothing she could do.
Thorin and Frerin, the princes, were quick to embrace Harriet after that, thanking the girl for her help. It had given them time to get their people out of the halls that housed them and into areas that organized them for the evacuation process. More and more started to crowd them and Harriet soon found herself being hailed as a savior.
She denied the name, claiming that she did it because it was the right thing to do. It endeared her even more to the Ereborian Dwarrow.
Days passed with nowhere to go, but they had to keep moving. Smaug may not like them camping out in a field filled with fire and ruin. He'd all but scorched the earth around Erebor and Dale, ensuring that nothing would grow for them. Let's not forget the nasty magic settling like slime over the land as well.
It made Harriet's skin crawl at the feeling settling over her before they finally left the area.
Harriet helped with the healing, knowing spells due to necessity in her year of hunting on the run. She'd help in cleaning wounds, bandaging them, siphoning blood from clothing and off faces, and more. She'd helped with warming charms, lighting fires for them, producing clean water with water spells, and more.
She became well loved and watched over by the people as she continued helping them, and as months passed into a year, followed by another and another and on it went before they finally decided to settle in Dunland for the time being. (Harriet had learned that Thranduil had turned his back on the dwarrow, even so much as offering them food and shelter. She'd felt a hatred settle within the pit of her stomach for him and him alone.)
At that point, Harriet had been with them for twenty years and not a year went by that she aged.
When asked, Harriet had murmured that since she had a strong core of magic, she'd age very slowly. Her life expectancy was questionable, but wizards and witches have lived well pasted their two hundreds.
She wasn't sure about hers though, for Harriet had the deathly hollows, so she may live a bit longer than that and the amount of magic in this world may even contribute to it as well.
Dunland was harsh. It was taxing on their people. Harriet helped wherever she could, especially during the winter months. No dwarrow was going to freeze if she could help it.
Through the use of magic, Harriet was able to ensure that many survived, but they had to spread thin and accept any work where possible. She'd resorted to using magic and healing abilities, which brought in quite a bit of money for them to use. It was also around this time that there was talk of trying to retake Moria back.
A dwarven kingdom that they'd been pushed out of long, long ago. The King, Thror, planned to march any abled body to Moria's doors. Harriet, who'd become close to many dwarrow, insisted on carving runes into their armor, ones meant to protect them from fatal wounds and so forth.
They'd left and Dis was furious with her grandfathers decision to march to war when they could settle somewhere else until they were able to find their feet once more.
Bellewin, who'd finally decided to settle and help repopulate their numbers, was left hollow looking when her husband marched with them. (She'd surprisingly found her One in this entire mess and was carrying her first after years of trying.)
Weeks passed and Dis worried anxiously by the door to their temporary home. Harriet would have to coax the woman to come and eat with her people, many being just dwarrowdams, elder dwarrows, and dwarflings. Any dwarrow that wasn't a trained warrior stayed behind to help keep trades flowing.
To lose any dwarrow that could make coin through crafts wasn't worth losing.
The day the dwarrow came back, Dis had covered her face and cried in silent relief, only to break when she learned that her father was missing and grandfather had fallen.
Frerin had almost perished, taking a fatal hit but due to the rune Harriet carved upon his breastplate, he'd been saved. Many had made it home because of the witch's carvings. Harriet had simply pulled many in for a warm embrace when they came to thank her.
"Do not thank me for something I'd always do for those I love."
A few months later, after having failed to take Moria back, they packed up and began the journey to Ered Luin, where other dwarrow lived.
It was on one of these days that Harriet came face to face with a dwarrow that she vaguely recognized. Silver eyes stared at her from the face of a dwarrow with auburn hair styled into that of a star and braided beard intricately styled.
She had been coming back from a market of a small town they'd stopped on the outskirts of. Her long skirts swaying with her gait when he'd been coming down the path towards her. Harriet had glanced up at him and sent a warm smile his way. She knew almost every dwarrow that came through the healing wards or visited family. This one though, she'd not seen him before, or at least, not in the past few years.
They were a large group, at least nearly a thousand, and they moved in large factions, keeping specific numbers and leaders to each group so no one gets left behind. It was necessary, splitting them and assigning leaders. They in turn gave tasks to everyone to make sure everything is running smoothly.
The dwarrow with the silver eyes watched her and Harriet flushed under his gaze. Hurried footsteps followed further from the road and both their attention went towards the sound. Around the bend came a dwarfling, bowl cut light auburn hair and a wide grin on his face, beard hairs just starting to fill in.
"Nori! Wait for me!" he cried, stumbling over his feet and almost tripping. "You promised to take me to look at the tomes!" and the small dwarfling suddenly noticed her, this time actually tripping over his feet and hitting the ground hard.
Harriet frowned at the poor dwarfling in worry as he sat up on his knees, showing a bloody nose and teary eyes.
"Oh Ori, what are we going to do with you?" came a deep voice and Nori (she recognizes that name, silver eyes flashing from over a mothers retreating back through dragon fire) and Ori scowled through a bloody nose.
"You promised!" came his slurred, childish response.
Harriet approached the two, smiling softly but noticing how Nori tensed at her approach.
"Which group are you with?" Harriet questioned, pulling the bag on her back, off and digging for some cloth to help stop the bleeding before she could clean the blood away with magic. Nori tensed further and Harriet just continued talking.
"I'm with Dis's group. She's in charge of the Medical area, with Oin and I. I've never seen you two come in throughout the years?"
His stance loosened.
"That's probably because amad knows basic healing, and we tend to patch one another up if necessary."
Harriet hummed as she gently dealt with the dwarflings bleeding nose.
"What's your name little one?" and he scowled at her term 'little one'.
"Ori son of Emri at your service." And he looked to Nori who smiled at his blatant look of 'did I get that right?' face.
Harriet smiled widely. "It's nice to meet you Ori son of Emri. My name is Harriet daughter of Lily, at your service."
Ori instantly perked up, face lighting up like a thousand suns as he drew in a sharp breath. "You're Lady Harriet, the Shamrunayusullu!"
Harriet scowled at that name before shrugging. "I'd prefer just Harriet, please Ori?"
She could feel Nori's gaze on her though, his intense scrutiny making her stomach flutter nervously. Harriet pulled the cloth away from Ori's nose and, not seeing anymore blood leaking from it, she pulled her wand out and uttered the healing spell and one to clean up his face. Ori smiled a brilliant smile while looking faint in excitement.
"Nori! I can't believe we're meeting the- Harriet please- Shamrunayusullu!"
"I've seen you before…" Nori finally uttered and Harriet suddenly found her gaze on the one she was pretty sure a dwarfling last she's seen him. "I…you fixed the bridge…I remember rocks rebuilding, being put back together so that we could escape… and your hair-" he cut himself off.
Harriet continued to help Ori, pulling him to his feet and straightening his outfit. "You were little then. I remember you stumbling out of the back room at the restaurant your mother owned, covered in flour."
Surprise flickered in his eyes as a brow rose in disbelief.
"You've not aged a single day?"
A smirk turned up the corner of her mouth. "I've got a magical core, means I age really slow. Might live to be older than three hundred at this rate!"
Nori hummed while standing up, holding a hand out to Ori, who latched onto it, still staring at Harriet like she's the sun.
Harriet's hair rose with the wind but didn't float back down. It instead, did what it loved to do and became an entity of its own. Nori's fingers itched to run through those gravity defying strands, but he grasped his brothers' hand and bowed to Harriet.
"Thank you for helping Ori."
Harriet waved him off. "It's not a problem. Come visit the medical group some time? I tend to annoy them with my magic and millions of questions, so they'd probably appreciate it." And she laughed, not noticing the look that suddenly fell over Nori's face. Ori giggled and was tugged along behind his brother.
"We'll make sure to stop by at some point!" and Harriet watched Nori's back and a stumbling Ori being dragged behind.
"Was it something I said?" she questioned herself, shrugging and turning away.
Oooo
Harriet didn't see Nori for another few months of travel, until he'd suddenly shown up out of the blue, melting from the shadows and causing Harriet to jerk away from his figure and send a stinging hex at him.
He'd hissed from the attack, rubbing at his left arm that hadn't been moved out of the way fast enough.
"Sorry!" and she was countering the hex with a scowl on her face. "You can't sneak up on me. I tend to react before I look."
"I noticed Razdûna." Nori chuckled, and Harriet flushed as he smiled and winked at her!
"How are you and Ori doing?" Harriet finally asked, going back to taking inventory on their medical supplies. Nori hummed in the back of his throat, watching her flit about the cart.
"He's doing alright. Amad's death has been a bit hard on all of us. Dori's been looking after him the most."
Harriet paused in her note taking, suddenly remembering the recent deaths the last few years. There had been a few raids on a couple of the groups further towards the back. Medical help hadn't been fast enough for some and others were too far gone to do much of anything for. Harriet would normally put them to sleep so they'd pass peacefully. She must have been one of those that passed in a raid.
"I'm sorry…" Harriet suddenly said and Nori shifted uncomfortably.
"Dori's been nagging at me to help out with Ori more, but…it's been hard."
Harriet agreed though, it has been hard, and just the thought of ever leaving these dwarrow and settling down in a men-folk town, wasn't even an option. She's grown to love these dwarrow with all her heart. Oin has even given her Healer braids and beads and Dis had given her braids and beads stating that she was part of the Ereborian Dwarrow and the Protector of All. A magic user that was to be respected.
Everyone knew of her, especially those that had seen her help their people out of the mountain.
"I was wondering Razdûna, you wouldn't mind coming to visit Ori, would you? You're all he's been talking about for the last few months."
Harriet smiled softly. "I can do that. He's adorable."
Nori's eyes were piercing as he stared at her, making her nervous and her hair to react to that nervousness. His hand darted forward before he could stop himself and he was already touching floating locks before he realized it. Harriet watched him through wide eyes. No dwarrow has been this forward with her, and she knew, by being around them for so many years, that hair was a very serious matter. One does not touch hair unless they are part of a family, in a relationship, or like Bellewin, in a very close friendship that its almost like family.
He ripped his hand away as soon as he realized what he was doing, horror painted across his face.
"I apologize Shamrunayusullu, I was out of line." And he turned to retreat when Harriet caught his sleeve.
"It's alright Nori. I'll be by to visit you and Ori sometime soon, okay?" and she smiled that pretty smile that Nori knew would be his downfall.
Because, Nori knew he'd been in love with the woman who'd saved them when he was little. He vaguely remembered rock reforming in empty air, of his family being ushered across.
He'd looked over his mother's shoulder in the chaos, and that red hair and those piercing green eyes had made his heart stop. Those were the only features he remembered, and he'd never given them thought until he'd crossed the woman's path a few months back.
He'd thought she'd be an old woman by now. White hair and green eyes and hunched over with wrinkly skin, but no, she'd not aged a single day and she was as beautiful as he'd imagined. Nori retreated as quickly and proudly as he could, unable to bear the thought that she may already be with another dwarrow.
The next week, Harriet finds herself heading for the group that travels a few days behind them. They stay spaced out so as not to overcrowd places, but Harriet thinks if they'd only had a couple of tents magically enhanced, it'd change their traveling situation. Unfortunately, Harriet didn't know how to make them without taking the time to experiment.
As she draws near the group, she recognizes Gloin, who looked downright angry for some reason. Pursing her lips, Harriet debated on talking to the guard or not. With a heavy sigh, she finally caved. He and Dwalin were very picky on not knowing when they had a visitor from another group suddenly appearing. They liked to keep track of others joining up with them so they could keep count.
"Well met Gloin!" Harriet called, waving at the dwarrow who blinked and suddenly brightened.
"Shamrunayusullu! Well met!" and called and came towards her. "What do we owe you for the visit?"
Harriet laughed and waved him off. "I just wanted to say hello and check up on everyone. Plus I'm here to see a dwarfling called Ori son of Emri."
She noticed Gloin's face darken. "That troublemakers little brother? Dori and Ori have their hands full with that Thief of a brother. Can't keep his hands out of trouble and sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Dwalin just left to go bail him out of the last jailcell from the town a few minutes from here."
Harriet blinked before asking which direction. Once Gloin pointed, she was off, apparating in a straight line once she had the sight of further up ahead. She caught up to Dwalin in no time, just outside the gates to the town.
Dwalin took one look at her and his shoulders dropped in relief. "Oh thank Mahal lass. Can you please get that dunderhead out of town without it causing backlash?"
Harriet scowled at Dwalin as she crossed her arms underneath her breasts and cocked a hip to the side. Her hair took on an irritated motion around her head, like a halo of writhing snakes.
"I get him out Dwalin, and he's mine to deal with. Not yours."
They stood eying one another and Dwalin finally relented, grumbling and waving her off towards the town.
"See that you think of a good punishment Shamrunayusullu." And he turned back towards the dwarrows. Oh, Harriet had a few good ideas that would make Dwalin cringe away from, but she'd have to think of a few others, especially if Nori was doing this for a reason.
Many of their dwarrow were struggling with making coin. If Nori had resorted to thievery, then there was a good enough reason to believe it was for his brothers and nothing more. Turning to face the town he was stuck in, Harriet squared her shoulders as she disappeared underneath a disillusionment and muggle repellent spell.
It didn't take her long to find the guard house with the jailcells. She simply stalked up the stairs and with a good few stunners, she was down the stairs and stalking past cells until she found exactly who she was looking for.
"Noir." She simply stated, causing him to jerk and look up as she canceled her spells. His eyes widened at the sight of her. "Dwalin is pissed that you've caused problems in town. What've you done?"
She'd give him the benefit of the doubt and if he didn't answer, then she was going to dig through that brain of his. He scowled, looking away from her and biting his lip in uncertainty.
"I stole a dwarven made blade back. They scammed him, gave him too little for his craft. I was simply getting it back to sell at the correct price."
Harriet paused before she sighed heavily into the silence. "Right, sit tight. I'll be back and this town won't remember anything about you, about us even coming through." And she was off to wipe some memories. Merlin help her and these dwarrow.
By the time she was done, and Nori and she were walking back towards the group of dwarrow, Harriet was exhausted. She'd used a lot of magic to ensure that they didn't remember this group that came through, not touching the memories about the ones from a few days before they arrived.
"Tell me Nori, how often are you stealing for your family?"
He remained silent, refusing to answer that. Harriet scowled. "I'm trying to help. You've got a good hand at stealing things. How are you in collecting information?"
He sent her a long, lingering look before adverting his eyes. "I'm good at sniffing information out. Sneaking, stealing, all that shady shit that Dori nags at me about and Ori has no idea of."
Harriet hummed. "Give me a week and I'll get you into a position that serves the Royal family directly. Dis owes me."
Nori's mouth opened and closed multiple times before snapping shut and not uttering a single syllable.
She then sent him a smug look. "But first, I've got to come up with a good punishment or Dwalin will think I'm letting you off."
Nori's face turned sour as he kept pace with the girl.
When they got back, Harriet followed Nori to his families small camping area, where Harriet brightened at the sight of a dwarfling. Ori had noticed her almost instantly and he was up and stuttering before her, flushed and happy looking. Harriet had simply squatted to his height and enveloped him into a hug.
Dori, who had been warming up by their fire sent Nori a long, glowering look that spoke of him knowing his brother's game. Though as soon as he spotted her, Dori was up and bowing low with a loud splutter of hello and asking how she was.
"At ease Dori! I've not seen you in years! Last I really saw you was when you served my friend and I food and drink!" Dori flushed and rubbed at his auburn braids wrapped tightly around his head. Harriet remembered him and was glad that he'd made it out of the mountain.
Ori was propped on Harriet's hip, his weight much more compact and heavier than what a human toddler would be. It must be the dwarrows build and claim of being made from stone.
"Dwalin gave me the task of giving Nori his punishment. As such, I've decided that a simple spell to tether him to something you have on you would be best. He can't leave a certain radius of this object."
Nori spluttered and looked at her like she was severing his hand from his body. Ori looked ecstatic and asked how it would work before Dori was handing over his clasp that kept his beard braids covered. He'd notice immediately if it were gone.
"It'll last two weeks Nori, long enough to satisfy Dwalin and Dori, but you'll notice that it'll weaken the longer the spell sits without being strengthened until it breaks down." She informed the star haired dwarrow quietly after casting spells and watching a shudder wrack Nori's frame.
Nori then stalks off as far as he could go, pulling his bedroll with him and sitting down upon it before pulling out a knife and beginning to whittle at a piece of wood. Harriet turned towards Dori while sitting down with Ori and carding her hand through his hair. He squawked, eyes wide at her bold move.
Dori looked between the two with wide eyes and Harriet smiled softly at the dwarfling.
"I'm sorry, I just love dwarflings so much. My friend is expecting and there's not many children to spoil since the fall of Erebor."
They both relaxed and Dori sat across from her, the small fire heating them up as the daylight and heat started to dim.
"He means well Dori. I know he does. You may be disappointed in him, but Nori cares and tries his best." Harriet began and held a hand up when he went to interrupt. "I've already spoken with him and plan to talk with Dis soon. I'll see that his skills are used for the dwarrows best interest and not this. He'll have a steady income this way."
Dori's eyes closed and his shoulders slumped. "I try my lady. I try my hardest for my siblings and they're all I've got left in this world. Nori…makes it difficult because he's come back injured and sometimes, I fear he may not come back at all."
Harriet hummed, glancing over at a dwarrow whittling away in the fading light.
"I'll talk with him. I've got runes I can engrave into his armor that will offer a form of magical protection and some that can make nonmagical people's eyes slide right off his presence."
"Wow! Really?" Ori suddenly butted in and Harriet smiled at the dwarfling before her.
"Yes, really. Would you like an enchanted fire? My friend from long ago taught me how to do it."
Ori brightened. "Whatever can I put it in?" he questioned and Harriet was already transfiguring a decent sized stone into a clear jar. Ori's gasp had Nori glancing over at them in interest as Harriet produced a bluebell flame and held it out to Ori.
He hesitated but seeing that Harriet was handling it without getting burned, he finally got up enough courage to try and touch the flames.
Surprise crossed his face.
"It's hot, but cold to the touch…"
Harriet smiled as she watched Dori hesitantly touch it as well, ripping his hand back just as quick with a mumbled 'that's not natural' before Ori dropped it into the jar. Nori was quick to look away, but Harriet knew he was interested in a cold fire that produced heat like a normal fire.
"Careful when handling it, okay Ori? The bluebell flame can singe clothing and burn plants."
Ori nodded and Harriet stood up from her spot. "I'll see you guys another time, okay? I've got to get back to Oin and Dis. There's been a few dwarrowdams that may be close to birthing and I've got a faster way to heal if something goes wrong."
Dori looked interested when Harriet mentioned healing but inclined his head with a soft smile slipping over his face.
"Thank you for that, Shamrunayusullu."
"Dori, Harriet please."
"Bye Harriet. I'll take good care of the cold flame!"
Harriet ruffled the dwarflings hair again and pulled back. "I'll see you soon Ori, I promise."
Harriet walked towards Nori and when she stood next to him, she fixed her skirts and crouched beside him. Her eyes lingered on his profile as he whittled, and Harriet finally held out her hand. Nori glanced over and found his gaze suddenly locking onto a small wooden token on a corded necklace.
"This, when placed around your neck, will activate a 'notice me not' charm. If you are discreet, you'll go unnoticed by people who have weak or no magic."
His eyebrows flew up and he fully turned to face her in surprise. "Why are you giving me this?"
Harriet tilted her head before glancing back at the two brothers who were trying to look like they weren't trying to listen in.
"So you'll always be able to come back to them."
The harsh intake of air had Harriet smiling softly. "Right, I'll see you guys sometime soon. I'll talk to Dis for you, so you'll hear something soon." And she stood up. "I'll be apparating now, so don't be surprised at the loud sound." And she twisted on the spot.
Oooo
Dis had been weary of Harriet's words, but she could see the benefits of having a Spymaster. She mulled it over for a few days before bringing it to her brothers. They all knew about the thief from Dwalin complaining to them whenever he came to report.
They too were unsure, but Harriet mentioned that having a spy would help in sniffing out any possible assassinations, how trades were doing, digging into plots that may harm the people, economy, and much more. She knew they were honorable people, but this was to help the people and keep them informed of possibilities. She also put in a request to have armor made for this specific job where she could carve runes for spy work.
A week of Thorin painstakingly working on the armor and Harriet was given beautiful arm guards, a chest piece, and more that were light and didn't restrict the person wearing it. With runes carved into it, Harriet made it weightless with a featherlight charm, stronger, meant to repel most projectiles, could take a few heavy blows, to other charms that'd help in hiding a spy and protecting them against attacks.
Harriet soon found herself seeking Nori out once more, smiling when she spotted the two older brothers bickering with Ori watching with wide eyes. He was the first to spot her, jolting up on the cart and smiling widely.
"Harriet!" and both brothers stopped arguing as she came to stand before them. With a smile, she pulled her pack off and opened the small thing, reaching in and getting stunned looks as her whole arm disappeared inside it. Once she found what she needed, she pulled the gear out and got stunned looks from the brothers.
"Welcome Nori son of Emri, to Thorin's Council as his Spymaster. Though officially you'll be his advisor on Intelligence Movements so as not to outright say you're a spy."
She held the gear out to him, and Nori couldn't help but stare at it in stunned silence. Hesitantly, he took the gear and ran a hand over the material with interest.
"It's…really light?" he murmured and Harriet nodded, hand ghosting over the runes carved on the outside edges of all the gear.
"I've carved runes for protection, deflection, going unnoticed, a featherlight charm for the weight, and more into it."
Dori made an odd sound in the back of his throat before he was suddenly mothering Nori with words of praise and how he should have had more trust in his brother. Nori simply scoffed and tried to shove his brother away, knowing that if he hadn't been offered this position, he'd still be doing what he did best.
"Now, Gloin or Dwalin will be able to give you your jobs, for Thorin always updates the log they carry around. It's charmed to automatically be delivered once written on. I've charmed their papers so that messages can be sent back and forth between all our groups without it taking hours to receive. You can write your reports on them as well."
Dori thanked Harriet profusely and the woman waved him off before saying goodbye, heading back to the healers group.
Nori watched the red hair that always defies gravity, sway around her body.
"I think she's my One." He simply stated, arms tightening around his new gear. Dori choked on his spit and Ori squealed in happiness.
Oooo
Time slipped by and months of travel finally found them in Ered Luin, where they were integrated into the mountains with curious clans already living there. They'd welcomed them with open arms, but Harriet knew it'd be a bit of getting use to.
Another month and Oin had a healer's ward that she helped out in. Another one and Bellewin was welcoming twin sons. Two more and Dis was announcing her pregnancy with Vili, her One. Thorin and Frerin were ecstatic. Life continued on and then Gloin was getting married and Dwalin was taking over the training of recruits and becoming head of the Guard.
Dori set up a tea shop. Nori and Harriet were spending more and more time together much to everyone's amusement.
Ori was growing and requested an apprenticeship with Balin as soon as he was old enough to start.
Harriet met quite a few new dwarrow. Bofur, a happy go lucky toy maker and miner. Bifur, one that speaks in Khuzdul due to the axe in his head yet is able to understand common, was a toy maker with his cousin and loves to whittle and make children happy with his trade. Bombur and his wife, both cooks and his wife a baker. They were both lovely, with two little ones that made Harriet squeal with excitement. Two girls that she'd entertained with blossoming flowers in her cupped hands, making them excited to watch more magic whenever they could.
Time was moving on and Harriet was expanding her 'family', helping with carving runes into areas of the mines that Bofur didn't trust. She'd placed ones that would strengthen the structure and if there was a cave in, it would give them a warning and then ten minutes to evacuate. (It was all Bofur needed to get a crew to safety.)
It was also the first time she's heard about Stone sense. An ability that some are born with being able to sense jewels, ore, and so much more in the earth around them. Bofur uses it to watch the surrounding structure so cave ins were rarely if ever happening for his crew.
She still gave him a portkey (corded necklace with a wooden token as well) telling him that to activate it, to just call out the term Stone sense while holding it. It'd bring him back to the surface, outside of the mines. She gave it to him because Bofur would be the last of his crew to leave, meaning he would be the most in danger.
Harriet welcomed Fili into the world, Dis recovering from a hard first birth. Vili was ecstatic and emotional.
Bellewin was pregnant again and she asked Harriet when she'd start looking for someone to settle down with. Harriet had simply smiled and shrugged. She'd deny a specific dwarrow suddenly coming to thought when she'd questioned her.
Thorin set up trade with local towns and Harriet asked about the Shire, which had creatures called Hobbits. Thorin had mused about it before finally conceding. They had crops, farms that grew all sorts of food, even pipe-weed and ales to meads and more.
Producing farming tools for them, kitchen wears, and other hand-crafted things for them, trade was going great with them and Thorin's Halls began to fill out more in figure as many dwarrow were no longer gaunt looking.
It felt like no time had passed when Kili son of Vili was being born. Soon followed by Gimli son of Gloin.
Harriet started visiting Dori's teashop whenever she could, asking how Ori was doing in his apprenticeship and how Nori was doing since she's not seen him as often as usual. Dori watched her though, brows furrowed before something finally dawned on him.
"Nori comes home around four in the evenings Shamrunayusullu. He'd be happy to see you."
Harriet smiled softly at Dori's information, sipping tea and eating one of the pastries Bombur's wife made for her. The dwarrowdam was always trying to fatten her up, but magic liked taking that energy for itself and making her metabolism faster than normal.
It was one of those evenings that Harriet showed up at the Ri brother's home and knocked on the door, getting an armful of Ori, who was learning how to knit. He picked it up fast too, already wrapping Harriet in a scarf. Nori was not long after and Dori was quick to swoop in and steal Ori with a 'be right back, bread needs to be picked up at the bakery', before leaving the two of them alone.
Harriet rolled her eyes and turned towards Nori who was getting out two mugs to fill with ale. She accepted the mug with a small smile as she glanced up at him. Nori grinned down at her before sitting and gesturing for her to do the same.
"Are you staying for dinner as well?" Nori questioned as he took a sip of his ale. Harriet nodded after her own sip and then placed the mug on the table. She was nervous about what she was going to do next, but Bellewin has been talking her through this for the last few weeks. With shaking hands, she cupped them before her and let her magic swirl with her desire of what it needed to do.
A handful of pretty, delicate flowers bloomed within her hands and Nori watched with wide eyes, his breath catching in his throat. He knew Harriet's lived with the dwarrow for years, but it was still a sight.
"Shamrunayusullu, you… Harriet…you know what you're asking, right?"
"I do know what this means. I hope that you take my announcement of my interest in you as a partner to court and kindly accept or decline this request."
Nori reached forward, hesitating for a second before he was wrapping his hand around the blooming flowers.
"I'll need to make you a gift, but I accept your affections and hope to return them as well."
The pretty smile that filled her face and the floating hair made Nori's heart beat all the faster.
The two brothers came back after that and Ori all but melted at the sight of Nori holding flowers and Dori smiled softly at the two. Ori was quick to pull Harriet into an embrace, shyly talking about how he couldn't wait for nieces of nephews after Nori did the courting phase.
Harriet's face flushed red as she ruffled Ori's hair. He whined, but didn't put up much of a fuss. She's been doing that for years now.
Years of courting slowly pass and they've been together for about ten before Harriet found herself in a chamber filled with dwarrowdams dressing her into a dwarrow wedding gown. Her heart was racing and her hair wasn't behaving for the hairdressers, who simply weaved pretty strands of gold through her hair.
There was a courting braid with Nori's bead at the end of it along with ones she's picked up over the years, but even those are thin and waving around her face in nervousness. Harriet also had a part in her wedding planning, incorporating magic into it because it was who she was. Floating candles, flocks of pretty doves that delivered drinks and food. Petals of all colors blowing around like there was a breeze, spinning and twisting.
And then there was the normal part of the wedding, but also another part where Dis, Frerin, and Thorin dedicated to the Shamrunayusullu of their people. A tale sung of her deeds, her courage and heart in standing between Erebor and a Dragon.
The party was of epic proportion and Harriet and Nori spent almost the entire night thanking people for coming to the wedding and after party. The congratulations were many and blessings even more.
They retreated to their own small home built into the mountain, near Ori and Dori simply because Harriet loved them, and they were her family. Nori had laughed and had said something about never being able to get away from his brothers, but she knew he appreciated it.
Time kept moving and it wasn't long before Harriet found herself standing in front of a mirror, turned sideways and staring at the slight curve to her belly. She's always had a thin frame, one that had filled out with muscle and feminine curves, but this was new.
Her magic hummed in a pleasing sort of way and she could feel that it was wrapped tightly within her stomach as well. It made her feel full in some weird kind of way.
The next month, without a cycle, Harriet realized that she was pregnant. Oin had confirmed her status with a smile and Dis, who had been present, had perked up at the information. She and Vili had been trying for the past year for another child, especially after the cave in that had happened recently. If not for the runes that forewarned of the beginnings of a cave in and the supporting ones that held the stone as long as it could, Dis was almost positive Vili would have been lost.
Dinner that evening was awkward, and Harriet kept fidgeting, making Nori weary of what was wrong. When he finally stood up, he set his things aside and came to her, crouching before her with a worried look and Harriet buried her hands into his beard, gently combing through it since he'd taken a bath and hadn't braided it back up yet.
Harriet leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his as her eyes fell closed. Shakily, she cupped his cheeks and pulled away just a bit and smiled hesitantly.
"What's wrong Razdûna?" he murmured, one hand pulling at one cupping his cheek and squeezing it while the other reached up for the withering strands surrounding them.
Through a watery smile, Harriet found her gaze locking with those silvery eyes that she's fallen in love with.
"We're going to be parents." And oh how her heart soared at the idea of finally having children of her own. Of cuddling and playing and teaching a little one.
Nori had frozen up, his breath catching in his chest before he was pulling her to the floor with him and wrapping her up in a tight hold. Harriet's tears spilled down her cheeks as Nori held her tighter, rocking her back and forth. He's known how much Harriet's wanted dwarflings. If her constant talk about the dwarflings and their visits in the healer's wards wasn't a dead give away and how she'd spend hours watching them for parent's that were busy with stands, he didn't know what was.
She was always helping with the birthing process, always checking up on dam and her babe until she knew they'd both be okay.
Nori was stunned though. Usually, pregnancies didn't come about until roughly four years after a marriage. It took a long time for the babe to develop, but then again, Harriet wasn't a dwarrowdam and he didn't know what to expect from this pregnancy.
"How have you been feeling? Has Oin said anything about the pregnancy? It takes years Harriet. Is…is the development okay?" He asked, because she was already showing after eight months into their marriage. Harriet sniffled before cleaning up her face with her sleeve.
"Monitoring spells and such are saying everything is alright. Development is coming along slowly, pushed along with magic. I'm only in the beginning stages though, two months so far? I think my magic is protecting and helping the development."
Nori breathed a sigh of relief and helped his One to her feet.
After cleaning dinner, he pulled her into their room and simply spoke with her, asking about names and thoughts and how they'd have to build a room for the dwarfling. Harriet had drifted off to the soft hum of Nori singing.
Oooo
It took eighteen months for the dwarfling to develop. Eighteen months of being pregnant and Harriet was so ready to pop. Her back hurt. Her ankles were swollen and merlin, she couldn't even see her feet.
Dis and Bellewin were worried about her. Even they hadn't been as big as Harriet currently was. None of them were expecting her to be this big. Dis hadn't even been half the size Harriet was with her first nor second birth.
"Right, when was the last time you cast a spell to check up on the dwarfling?" Dis questioned and Harriet shrugged.
"I've not been able to cast for the past six months…" Dis and Oin both froze up.
"What?"
"Why didn't you say something Harriet!"
Harriet's hand rubbed at her aching back. "What was I supposed to say?! Hey, Dis, Oin, I've no access to my magic?" she scoffed. "You'd have all panicked and it'd not have helped me in my current situation at all!"
Dis threw her hands up in annoyance.
Oin began a checkup when suddenly Harriet was grunting in pain and the next thing she knew, her water was breaking.
"Oh…"
Oooo
Fifteen hours of labor and Nori was pacing outside the healing wards with his brothers sitting against the wall, murmuring to one another.
Dis was the first to come out of the room, followed by Bellewin, who sighed heavily in exhaustion.
"Mahal do I need a nap." She breathed, stretching out her sore muscles. Dis came to a stop in front of the three brothers, Nori standing as still as stone before her. She gave him a long, narrow eyed look before nodding her head towards the ward.
"She's tired. The labor went on longer than we dwarrowdams deal with. Go Nori, she's with the little ones. Mahal blessed the two of you."
"Ones?!" Ori questioned, suddenly on his feet in anticipation.
Nori hesitated before disappearing into the room. They gave him a few minutes to talk with Harriet and meet his little ones, before they finally crowded the room, Dori and Ori too excited to wait any longer.
What met their eyes had them freezing though and Harriet's laughter filled the silence as she held out one to Ori.
"Meet Amarri, Cori and Peri."
Triplets, all of them girls!
Dori fainted and Ori fluttered about, casting Dori a long look before grabbing Cori and holding her in his arms with wide eyes.
"Triplets! Its…its unheard of!"
Harriet smiled softly as she held Peri, finger already being suckled on.
Nori was holding Amarri with wide eyes, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he's got four girls to take care of now.
Oooo
It was hard, taking care of triplets. Never mind taking care of magical triplets. They had somehow gotten the metamorphmagus gene, which had Harriet pulling hair out when one would have blue hair one day and pink the next and the other girls switched as well! Triplets! With different hair color every few hours and all looking exactly alike!
Nori had about had a heart attack the first time they'd changed their hair color into a flashing show of colors they'd come across. Silver like their father's eyes, or green like their mothers! Their faces would shift slightly to take on this feature or that from visiting relatives, which gave Harriet and Nori a headache.
The first time a few toys went floating by had Harriet scrambling to making sure nothing dangerous could be swept up into accidental magic.
Dis would visit with her children and Fili and Kili got along swimmingly, especially when they would keep handing one triplet back and forth to watch the colors bleed from black to golden and back again. Fili and Kili were of age at this point, closing in on their sixties, but still young for dwarrow.
Dis had laughed at the haggard look Harriet had thrown her way. Dwarflings were so much easier than magical half-dwarflings!
Gimli, Gloin, and his wife Birta had watched with a wide-eyed stare as, all auburn-haired girls turned into fiery red headed green eyed lasses, looking like duplicates of Harriet.
Life was not easy.
Oooo
Years went by and Harriet started going out of the mountain to help in the villages outside with healing. She would pop in and out with her portkeys every few days, each locked up and labeled exactly where it went to. Her daughters were growing up nicely, already ten and a giggling mess as they figured out how to control their morphing abilities and to do basic wandless magic.
She'd have to have Nori craft staffs for them and find jewels that sung with their powers sometime soon.
It was on one of these outings that, when Harriet got back, she found a note on her table.
A note that spoke of a quest and reclaiming Erebor.
She'd stared at the note for a long, long time. Stared at it and when her three girls tumbled into their home, they'd gone silent at their mother's pacing. Her hair was whipping around her in anger, hurt. She was pissed that they'd do this without her help. Without asking for runes to protect them, for bags that could be expanded, for anything!
"Pack your things! You're staying with your uncles-"
"Uncle Dori and Uncle Ori are gone ma…" Peri whispered and Harriet's magic sizzled.
A short, angry scream and she had her girls packed up and off to stay with Bellewin and her family.
Bellewin had opened her door and knew instantly that something was wrong. She sent Harriet on her way, knowing that the Shamrunayusullu was angry.
Dis had taken one look at her and scowled.
Thorin and Frerin both went. They both went and took her sons with them. They left a week ago, just after Harriet had check in on her family and popped back over to one of the towns. Dis showed her maps of the direction they went but having only ever been to Bree and through the shire, and to the surrounding towns within the area, she's not ventured in that direction.
They skirted around, through the villages such as Rohan for some work and supply gathering, before sticking to major roads. The path had brought them from Dunland, over rivers to the Andrath Greenway and into Bree. They'd stayed straight from there, right until they ventured over hills, skirting the Shire before Ered Luin.
Why the hell didn't she put a tracking spell on Nori?
Months passed after that, Harriet scowling as she traveled over land on a horse too large for her. She hit the high pass of the mountains, having to amp up her spell work with the amount of orc activity.
She hit the Mirkwood forest and at that point, Harriet knew she could apparate to Esgaroth, the Long Lake. She remembers it clear enough to get her there with destination and determination in mind.
She pulled the reigns off her horse and released the gentle creature with a sigh. Nori, Dori, and Ori were going to get an ass kicking.
Let's not forget that Harriet's found out she's once again carrying! She'd only just found out a week ago!
So, she was angrier than she'd been before she left!
Arrive to Esgaroth, she'd taken in the town upon the lake with a wrinkled nose. She could smell it from here!
The evening was closing in and Harriet sighed as she transfigured a boat and sailed for the town, using a subtle spell to blend in and simply appear as one of the people. There was word about dwarrow heading to the mountain earlier the previous morning and Harriet's heart stopped.
They've already gone to Erebor?
A cold seemed to envelope her. If that dragon was sleeping, it'd come straight to the lake the first chance it got.
She was already moving, heart pounding as she carved rune after rune into the legs of the houses. Her magic sizzled and sparked at each rune settling into the buildings and water. It was on one of these houses that Harriet ran into Bofur, who's mouth popped open in disbelief.
"By my beard Harriet! What are you doing here?!"
She scowled at Bofur as he started pulling Harriet up the stairs to the house he'd come out of.
"Nori left a note!" she snarled, pushing her sleeves up as Bofur all but shoved her up the steps. "A note Bofur! A god damned note and left behind his wife and our three girls without a goodbye or asking for any kind of magical help!"
And he'd managed to push her into the house as she whirled around on Bofur with anger, hair snapping around her frame in anger.
"I'm pregnant too!"
"Oh shit." A voice said behind her as Bofur's eyes widened.
"Shamrunayusullu… we are so sorry!" Fili's voice hit her ears and Harriet spun in anger.
"You! You two left your Amad and Adad in worry! Your Amad is heavily pregnant and you left!"
Oin, who was standing next to another figure on a bed suddenly had Harriet falling silent in horror.
"Kili!" and she rushed forward, spells flying from her lips and pulling out poison before he was finally settling at the cooling spell cast over him.
"She can do magic?" a little girl's voice broke the silence and Harriet's forehead rested against the bed Kili was lying on.
What was she going to do with these dwarrow?
Turns out, Kili had been shot with a poisoned arrow. They'd stayed behind to take care of the wound, and the house they were staying in had three kids and Bard, who hasn't come back in a while. It was at this point that the house was attacked, and Harriet had taken care of the intruders with a flurry of spells and all but decapitated the orcs once she'd put a stop to their assault.
The three children had all stared at her in awe.
The silence of the night was broken by the thundering roar of a dragon an hour later.
They scrambled and the kids began to try and pack a bag quickly. Harriet had simply pulled one of the bags from the older girl and, with a couple charms, expanded it and then a swipe of her wand had everything and anything in their small house shrinking and flying into it.
They'd all looked into the bag in fascination before they were moving, heading for a boat underneath their house just in case it was needed.
The screaming wasn't new to Harriet. She could remember it like yesterday, when the dragon had first attacked them. Her runes were glowing at the first attack of dragon fire. It repelled the flames and created a blue, translucent dome around them and Smaug was suddenly roaring overhead.
A blinding light flared when he tried to come too close and he took off again, attacking it with constant dragon fire. The drain of the magic in the runes was weakening the dome, and as people fled out of their homes and into boats, Harriet was able to throw up more spells to make them remain unseen as best as possible.
It was at this point that Bard, the father to the kids in the boat, appeared up on one of the towers with a wind lance. Harriet remembered those being in Dale, how they'd shoot the black arrows at the dragon before they'd been taken out with fire.
"Where's the black arrow?!" and the son was pulling it out from underneath a tarp. Harriet grabbed it and, giving them all one last look, she pointed at them with a glower.
"Do not even think about getting off this boat." And she apparated with the black arrow.
She startled Bard, badly. He'd almost fallen off the tower.
"You will kill that son of a bitch." She snarled at him, shoving the arrow into his arms and turning to face Smaug as he crashed onto a few houses, holding himself high above the water and spewing flames.
"Do I know you!?" Bard called as he locked the arrow into the device. Harriet shook her head while sending off a bright, eye catching light.
"No!" she said as Smaug turned towards them. "But Smaug remembers facing off against me when he first arrived."
A sharp inhale. "The Woman made of Magic?"
And, with a blinding light, Bard released the arrow in its flash, watching as it pierced dragon hide.
Smaug would forever regret making an enemy out of her.
Oooo
A brilliant stag bounded over rock and over rubble. It paused before taking off again, leaving a trail of bright light in its wake.
There was a startled sound as the stag waltzed through the entrance of Erebor in the middle of the night. The entire company of Thorin were on alert, surrounding it before they were suddenly listening to a voice most of them (not including the Hobbit) knew.
"Damn it Nori! You have the gall to up and leave the girls and me!? And without any charms?"
The stag's hooves dug into rubble and Dori and Ori shifted away from Nori.
"How could any of you fools have left without getting runes engraved in your armor? Protective spells woven into your gear, expanded enchantments for the fucking bags!? Stasis charms for food? Portkeys damn it!" and a snort from the Patronus. "You call me Shamrunayusullu, then fucking remember it!"
Silence for a second before her voice spoke, a bit calmer this time. "Smaug is dead. Bard and I took care of it. Esgaroth took a hit, but I've carved runes into the posts so many houses are untouched. There's many injured though, burns to be taken care of. I'll be there in the morning and so help me I'll hex all of you if you've a single scratch!"
And the stag dispersed.
"What…what was that?" Bilbo asked, breaking the silence.
"A message…from my wife…" Nori hesitantly said, throat bobbing nervously as he swallowed. "She's pissed…beyond pissed and a magic user like that being pissed is…"
"Terrifying!" Dori gasped, hand over his heart. "Oh dear Mahal, what have we done?"
"I don't like that we've made Harriet mad…" Ori mumbled, nervously wringing his hands.
"Well, it was nice knowing all of you." Frerin sighed.
There was a collective groan from everyone at the thought of a pissed off red head storming Erebor in a few hours.
Oooo
To say Nori got off light was an understatement. Harriet had hexed the dwarrow into the next day.
She'd even gone as far as punching him hard in the stomach, hoping it bruised for the rest of his life.
She then set out to start repairs, a prominent scowl on her face, but kindly introducing herself to the company's burglar. He was a cute thing, small and brave with a bit of an attitude. He had greeted her without hesitating and Harriet had smiled fondly at him.
It was, days and hours of repairing the lower levels, that Harriet was suddenly being pulled from the bowels of the mountain when her magic surged within her veins. There was the pounding of feet and then Harriet was staring at Nori with wide eyes as he swept her into an embrace.
"We need you Razdûna. An army marches this way and we've only got elves, men, and the Iron Hill dwarrow on our side."
She pulled back in horror. "You tell me this now?" and she was twisting them out of the bowels and to the entrance. Nori doubled over, gagging and hand holding his stomach. The rest of the group were already armed and ready to charge into battle. The only thing in their way was that awful excuse of a barrier taking up the doorway.
She scowled at all of them before her eyes landed on the four Durin's. Stalking over to them, she was quick to carve a few runes into their armor. Fili and Kili ran their fingers over the runes when they were done.
"You come back, you hear?" Harriet spat, spinning to face all of them. "You make it through this fight or so help me I'll drag your ghosts from your Halls and forever make your after-lives miserable."
The blasting spell flew from her lips after that, shattering the wall blocking them and they were charging.
Harriet didn't waste any time in mobilizing the dwarrow statues next to the front gates. They shuddered and then creaked and cracked before mobility smoothed out their kinks. She was lifted up with one, settling on its shoulder with a sticking charm and pushing forward.
There were surprised shouts, horror from the enemy and warrior cries from the dwarrow. The elves could only gape at them as Harriet set her eyes on the enemies.
She didn't know how long it took before the battle ended, but when it did, Harriet quickly set herself into a frenzy in collecting those that were injured. Putting them in a stasis if they were still breathing to keep them from dying, to twisting on the spot and getting them immediate medical attention.
She worked herself into exhaustion before Nori was dragging her away, curling up with her in his lap and smoothing her hair down, only for it to spring back up. Soothing words were whispered to her before a kiss to the forehead and she was out like a light.
Thorin had almost died. Fili and Kili had taken down Bolg while Frerin had gone on a rampage in protecting his brother and straight up tackled Azog, jamming his blade in between the orcs ribs with a vicious snarl.
From there, time passed in everyone recuperating, Harriet joined in with the repairs in Erebor, getting wide eyed looks from the dwarrow from Iron Hill with her magical demonstration in repairs. Frerin was the one to create alliances and trades with the men-folk and elves (very tentative).
Nori was constantly popping in and out of their new home, which was a house located in the royal section. Ori and Dori lived next door and were constantly bursting in to join the two in meals.
Harriet, using a two-way mirror, talked with her three daughters, who was excited that they'd be seeing their amad and adad once they left Ered Luin after the snow.
Erebor was starting to become habitable once again and Harriet added in her magical touches. Floating candles and enchanted lights. Warning runes, supporting runes, port keys for large groups to get them out of the mines in case of a cave in. She'd used her magic to sort that damn treasury.
She'd expanded a multitude of chests and had filled them to the brim with what she labeled each chest as, like coin, specific jewels, necklaces, and more. (So many chests, but at least it was literally all sorted.)
The day that the caravan from Ered Luin arrived, Harriet and Nori had both flown out the gates, getting shouts of excitement from their three daughters, who almost knocked Harriet right over in their excitement.
She was already showing in her pregnancy, having been scowled at by Nori due to having realized that his wife fought in a war, pregnant. Dori was constantly fretting over her and Ori was ecstatic at having another niece or nephew to gush over.
Erebor, along with a newly built Dale were flourishing. It was becoming what it'd once been and more.
Dis, Bellewin, and her friends were still reeling from the fact that they were home.
When Harriet's water broke, she'd been in the middle of a conference with Bard and Frerin on her magic runes that could be used for defense. She'd been talking, wincing every now and then from a consistent pain that could be sort of ignored with her pain tolerance, until water was suddenly spilling over her chair.
She'd grunted and doubled over, forehead hitting the table as she clutched at her protruding stomach.
Frerin went crazy, worry spreading across his face as he was out the room calling for Oin and Dis, while Bard had talked the witch through her contractions. He's been through three births before with his deceased wife, so it wasn't anything new to him.
Nori had been the first to arrive, somehow having gotten the news as soon as Frerin started shouting.
Hours passed and Harriet and Nori welcomed fraternal twins. Domari a girl and Omri, a boy.
Dis had given Nori a look when handing over the two babes.
"Mahal Nori, triplets and now twins?" and she shook her head. "Better hope it's not four next time."
Nori choked on his spit and Dori smacked him on the back with a loud laugh. Ori chuckled as he took Domari.
"Their names are nice." Ori murmured, smiling down at the tiny girl, who suddenly had Ori's eyes and hair color.
"Oh… Oh you're not going to like this." Ori laughed, looking up at his brother who was still choking. "She's got that morphing ability too!"
Nori groaned, covering his face with his hand. Catching his breath, he then held his arms out for his son, Omri. "Harriet wanted to name them something along the lines of your names." And he gazed down at Omri, begging Mahal that his son didn't have the morphing ability because it'd been hell when the triplets figured out how to fool their parents with that ability.
Dori had to turn away as his face heated and tears filled his eyes with the surge of emotions going through him. Ori brightened and held Domari a bit tighter.
"Go settle down in the room, Harriet's sleeping. It was taxing on her, with using her magic for repairs and then being limited as she advanced in semesters." Dis muttered, she needed to get back to her little girl that she had a couple months back.
The three brothers crowded the room, settling down with the two babes and not a minute later, three curious girls who wanted to see their siblings.
Nori could only smile fondly at his ever-growing family, watching as Dori and Ori helped the girls hold the twins. His eyes flickered to his wife and he couldn't help the warm feeling surging through his chest as her tired gaze locked with his. A soft smile fell over her face and Nori knew she meant everything to him.
Note: Khazdul is taken from a mix of websites and Dwarrow Scholar
*Emri: Made a name to fill in for the Ri's father
*Shamrunayusullu: Protector of all (f)
*Razdûna: Sun (Lady:Blaze)
